Category: Politics

Finance
Minister Ken Ofori Atta is seeking approval to spend some ¢6.3
billion in its Supplementary Budget for the remaining months of the
fiscal year.

This
was contained in the order paper for Monday’s proceedings in parliament
as the Minister presents the Mid-year Review as well as Supplementary
Budget.

This could mean that government’s expenditure limit for 2019 would be peg at ¢85 billion for 2019. Based on the 2019 appropriation bill, the Finance Minister was given the approval to spend some ¢78.7 billion

The
Deputy Finance Minister Kweku Kwarteng has already disclosed to
JoyBusiness that the Minister would announce some new tax measures.

These are part of measures to help improve governments revenue for development and helping improve the livelihood of Ghanaians

Private legal practitioner and an influential family member of current
President, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko says he is tired over strenuous
attempts to link him to one thing or the other under the current
administration.

He thinks that no story in the country is ever complete without the
association of his name stating that he is tired [Gabby abr3!]

In a tweet, the cousin of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo out of
frustration over the name-calling said “What is it about the name Gabby
Otchere-Darko that it appears no story is complete without it? Now, I
hear, apart from working for Interpol, I am also a demolition man. Gabby
abr3!”

But a Twitter user only identified as Lenthini gave a savage reply
“What’s about your name that everyone seems to associate with crime? You
mean apart from the fact that you’re shady and cunning crook whose only
job is pull strings in crooked deals to get your cut? NOTHING.”

Late last week, host of “With All Due Respect – Loud Silence Media”
Kelvin Ekow Taylor claimed the Attorney General and many others who
wanted to separate the president of Ghana from Nana Appiah Mensah alias
NAM 1 like Gabby Otchere Darko and many others hatched a scheme to bring
him down.

According to Ekow Taylor, the first person Horizon Royal Diamonds
contacted when they came to Ghana to file fraud charges against the two
men who defrauded them [Adewoye Olorunfemi Adetunje, a Nigerian and
Charles Opoku Darko, a Ghanaian] was renowned lawyer, Ace Anan Ankomah.

Ace Anan Ankomah has since denied the allegations and threatened to pursue the matter legally against Kelvin Ekow Taylor.

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC),
John Mahama says he will scrap some of the newly created ministries the
Akufo-Addo administration introduced if the NDC is voted back into
power.

The Akufo-Addo administration now has 125 ministers, over 30 more ministers more than its predecessors.

Speaking during a retreat for the party’s election directors in Tamale,
Mr. Mahama said: “We are said to have achieved a world record of 125
ministers. Definitely, some of those ministries will go under an NDC
government.”

The former President argued that a large number of ministers was a huge drain on public funds.

“Government expenditure has ballooned and they are not able to collect
enough revenue to meet the high expenditure. And part of the high
expenditure is because of the huge number of political appointments.”

Citing some examples, Mr. Mahama singled out, among others, the Procurement Minister as being redundant.

“Procurement ministry will go. You have a whole Public Procurement
Authority which was supervised by the Ministry of Finance. What do you
need a Procurement Minister for?”

The most recent additions came as Ghana welcomed six new regions in
2019; the Western North, Oti, Ahafo, Bono East, Savannah and North East
regions.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently justified his
“elephant-sized” government, saying: “as you know there are some who say
my government is too big and there are too many of you [Ministers]. I
am a firm believer in the adage the proof of the pudding is in the
eating.”

Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu, Ghana’s Special Prosecutor has taken
on those persuading him to resign from his current position in the
midst of accusations he is not living up to expectation.

According to him, he considers anybody who approaches him to persuade
him to resign as fuelling corruption by obstructing him from performing
his duties.

“Those who know my track record in public office over the decades know
that no Member of the Council of their Elders would dare speak to me on
resigning my public office as the Special Prosecutor. Anybody who
approaches me to persuade me to resign my office will be considered to
be obstructing me in the performance of my anti-corruption duties as the
Special Prosecutor. This time the Office of the Special Prosecutor will
handle the matter by itself and not farmed it out to another law
enforcement office so that the case will also lie fallow again like the
previous widely published complaint and complaint statement of
obstruction I lodged for investigation”, he revealed in his latest
epistle sighted by MyNewsGh.com.

He added that there are some persons within the NPP and NDC who will
rejoice of news of his resignation or his sackbut served notice that it
is never going to happen as far as he is concerned.

“The concerted efforts by the political elite to distract me from the
duties of my office with calls for me to resign will not move me to
abandon the electorate who made the establishment of the Office
possible. I also know that there are lots of people in both the NDC and
the NPP who would be too happy to hear that I have resigned or been
removed from office. I know further that when the President brought up
my nomination he faced serious opposition from his own, just like the
Asiedu Nketias of the other side also did, but he insisted he wanted an
impartial person like me for the job. Watch the TV news on the various
stations on 4th June 2019 and you will see the number of NPP MPs who
opposed any prosecution of any Member of Parliament for corruption. I
have written already on the bi-partisan position of the Leadership of an
NPP Majority Parliament under a Pastor Speaker”, he revealed.

The Paramount Chief of Breman Essiam in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Odeifuor Afoakwa III, has expressed his appreciation to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for the implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy.

According to Odeifuor Asankwa III, the Free SHS policy is not a discriminatory policy, and has unified all Ghanaians in terms of its benefits.

“I am a beneficiary of the Free SHS policy, since I have two children enrolled. One is in Form 2, and the other is in Form 1. I didn’t pay a dime,” he said.

The Breman Essian Chief continued, “When the one in Form 2 was at the JHS level, you had not come to power, so I saved against his education. So, when you introduced the Free SHS programme, I had managed to save GHS4,500. I used this money to buy 150 bags of cement to construct my building. Mr. President, God richly bless you!”

Odeifuor Afoakwa III made this known on Thursday, 25th July, 2019, when a durbar of Chiefs was held in honour of President Akufo-Addo in Essiam, in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency, at the commencement of the President’s 3-day tour of the Central Region.

The Free SHS policy, he added, has resulted in an increased enrolment, necessitating the Double Track System, and has “led to graduates with education background from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and University of Education, Winneba (UEW) who were at home unemployed, including my own nephew, to be employed as a teacher at Fiaseman Secondary School.”

The Breman Essian Chief noted that monies which, hitherto, would have been used to pay for school fees of a few children of the town are now being channeled into developmental projects of the town.

“This education policy will lead to Ghana producing so many graduates in future. You are building a confident, elite society for the future. Every nation’s future is contingent on its youth, and not every youth is a youth unless you have been educated formally,” he stressed.

Odeifuor Afoakwa III was confident that “in future, Ghana will develop because many more will be able to write and read to enable them to work without hustles or supervision. Mr. President, God bless you abundantly.”

On the “One Million Dollar, One Constituency” pledge of the Government, he indicated that his town has been a beneficiary of the projects being implemented under the policy.

“The programme started and in my town here, there is rig digging the ground for an ultra modern toilet system to be constructed. This is not found only in my town but in other parts of the district, Enyan Denkyira, Abaasa, Ajumako, Enyan Mim, and many other places,” he said.

The Breman Essiam Chief stressed that “if anybody tells you that one constituency one million dollars promise has not taken effect, tell that person it is not true because I am a living witness to them.”

Odeifuor Afoakwa III urged all Ghanaians to support President Akufo-Addo and his government, and “eschew all prejudices, and support all the policies that the President is implementing. Because, at the end of his 8 years as President, the results will be to the benefit of us all as Ghanaians.”

President Akufo-Addo has named James Oppong-Boanuh as Acting Inspector-General of Police until a substantive one is appointed.

According to a statement issued Monday, July 22 by Communications
Director at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, the President has directed
the IGP, David Asante Apeatu to hand over to Mr. Oppong-Boanuh with
immediate effect.Ghana’s 28th IGP was supposed to end his extended service August 14, 2019, after his tenure was extended by a year in August 2018.Commissioner
of Police (C.O.P) Oppong-Boanuh placed second to Beatrice Vib-Sanziri
in a list of top five possible successors of Mr. Apeatu AsanteIn that
list, prepared by Security analyst, Adam Bonah, also had Maame Tiwaa
Addo Danquah and Nathan Kofi Boakye in the race to becoming Ghana’s next
IGP. Some 522 serving officers, retired officers and former IGPs,
answered not less than 12 questions administered to them by Bonah’s
Security Warehouse Limited.

Explaining his work on JoyNews TV and Joy
FM Friday, May 17, the analyst said his team based their work on current
profiles, of the possible candidates, the positions they held as well
as the regions they worked in.

The candidates’ international exposure, major arrests or operations
they undertook, the years they have served, administrative roles plus
their achievements and legacies in the Police Service.

Lawyers
for murder suspect in the late legislator, J.B. Danquah-Adu’s Daniel
Asiedu are challenging a medical report that declared him sane to stand
trial.

They want the court to direct the Psychiatrist who carried out the evaluation to submit his full report to the court.

The
sanity of Daniel Asiedu who is standing trial together with Vincent
Bosso over the murder of Abuakwa North MP came into question following
his lawyers’ insistence that they had reason to believe he may not be
fit to stand trial. The Accra
Psychiatric Hospital was tasked by the court to examine Daniel Asiedu.
Dr Sammy Ohene who carried out the examination has since written to the
court saying the accused person is fit to stand tria

Lead counsel for Daniel Asiedu, Augustine Obour, however, wants the full report to be provided to the court

“Can we get a copy or you just looked at him and told the court he is normal?” Mr Obour asked the Psychiatrist.

Dr
Ohene told the court he considered the dressing, behaviour, coherence
of Mr Asiedu among other indicators in arriving at his decision.

These he said were contained in Daniel Asiedu’s file at the hospital which could be provided. Tr

ial judge Justice George Buadi directed that the report be submitted to the court.

Lawyer
Obour also asked that Dr Ohene be made to submit his birth and
baptismal certificates to the court following his admission that he had
changed his name from “Samuel” to “Sammy” as a boy.

Dr Ohene, however, said he can submit his professional certificates and passport which bear his name “Sammy Ohene”.

Justice Buadi directed that this is provided as well.Hearing of the case continues on July 30.

Felix Akwetey Nii Okle, a parliamentary aspirant in the
Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro constituency has pledged to institute a
regular training exercise for fishermen within the constituency should
he be successful in his bid.

Felix Akwetey Nii Okle observed that most of the coastal dwellers
particularly fishermen within his constituency lack some basic knowledge
and education, a phenomenon he seeks to change by encouraging them to
prioritise education and training.

The MP aspirant said this when he filed his nomination, the first to do so in the constituency on Thursday.

“I’m going to educate them, I’m going to tell them the essence of going
to school. Though some may know the essence of going to school, I am
going to stress on these areas very well. I will encourage them” he
assured.

He added that living the greater part of his life in the constituency makes him appreciate their challenges.

Addressing the gathering outside the party office after filing his
nomination, Felix Okle noted that he has lined up series of plans he
intends to implement to adequately deal with the problems.

“In today’s world if you are not educated you will not get anywhere so
it is my policy that I will make sure that everybody is educated to a
certain level that will be sustainable and can sustain their lives. When
it comes to the fishing areas I have identified most of their
challenges to be their outboard motors, their nets and access to credit”
the aspirant added.

In a time when the power of women has dominated recent discourse, Felix
Okley insisted that it is a key part of his development agenda.

He disclosed plans to push for the construction of a modern market facility for traders and assist women to access ready market.

This he stated will be done through training programmes and seminars to
get women to maximise and better position their business.

“I will organise seminars and training for women and by so doing they
will enhance their abilities to do whatever business they have. It is
not about smoking fish but it is about how to manage their small
businesses” he said in an attempt to win the bid to lead the NDC into
the 2020 elections.

The seat was lost to the governing NPP in the 2016 election, a situation
he hopes to reverse as he considers himself the best candidate.

Vociferous activist of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Asare
Obeng otherwise known as A Plus, has cautioned members of the party to
hasten slowly in believing everything said by the Editor-In-Chief of the
New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.

Vociferous activist of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Asare
Obeng otherwise known as A Plus, has cautioned members of the party to
hasten slowly in believing everything said by the Editor-In-Chief of the
New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.

“This is a letter the court wrote to the police asking them to bring
Gregory Afoko for a bail bond to be executed. This was the order the
police flouted with impunity and were cited for contempt. The fact that
you are a young person in this country does not mean you are a fool. The
fact that you are a member of the NPP does not mean you must believe
everything Kweku Baako says. Kwaku Baako, at this age start fighting for
Ghana and our democracy. You have fought very hard for the NPP.
Congratulations!!! It’s now time to fight for Ghana too!!!” he said in a
post sighted by MyNewsGh.com.

One of the lawyers representing the accused person, Nana Yaw Osei has
however reacted to the claims made by Kweku Baako on Accra-based Peace
Fm.

“The documents you read on PEACE FM’s Kokrokoo programme on (17/7/19)
were a one-sided unlawful busy-body interaction between the police and
the Lands Commission.It’s the exclusive duty of the court (the
Registrar/Registry) to ensure that bail conditions imposed by a Court of
Competent Jurisdiction are met by accused persons who have been granted
bail, except if the court for whatever reason(s) orders the police or
any other person or body to do so”, he said

A Ghanaian Architectural firm, Design and Associates Development
Consortium, has petitioned the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
over possible bias in the award of 12 state projects to David Adjaye
& Associates.

The architectural firm run by Sir David Adjaye has already courted
controversy because of its work on the National Cathedral and the new
Parliament complex.

Design and Associates argue that these two projects, in addition to
others like the Marine Drive Master Planning, Trade Fair Centre redesign
and the GNPC Accra Head Office, were not awarded fairly.

“Our concerns are premised on the total and absolute disregard and
non-adherence to principles of transparency, fairness, equity and the
laws governing the procurement of professional services by stature
companies and bodies.”

The firm is raising concerns over Mr. Adjaye’s legitimacy to practice in
Ghana because he is not a resident per the Architects Decree (NRCD
357).

Design and Associates also says Mr. Adjaye’s firm is recruiting architects from beyond Ghana and ignoring local talent.

“The negative impression and image is being created in the public that
locally trained Architects and Engineers are incompetent and not
qualified to undertake such projects in the country which is totally
untrue.”

But the crux of the local architecture firm’s complaints had to do with the procurement process which it described as “bizarre.”

It maintained in the petition that David Adjaye & Associates was
selected “contrary to all notions of fairness to carry out projects when
it is clear that anyone firm would be overburdened by projects of such
magnitude.”

In addition, Design and Associates rubbished assertions of fairness in
the selection process for at least the controversial new Parliament
complex.

In an attached letter responding to the Ministry of Lands and Natural
Resources, it described the competition for the design of the new
Parliament complex “a complete hoax.”

It said local firms were excluded from discussions on the projects with various state institutions.

“Therefore, for the same individual or firm to be presented as a winner
of the supposed competitive bidding process is most scandalous. It
cannot be said that the public offices involved in the decision process
were not biased, prejudiced and influenced in their decision making
because of the several meetings held with Adjaye and Associates.”